Skin clamp-applying tool



April 10, 1945. pp

SKIN CLAMP-APPLYING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1945 A ril 10,1945. E. L. LIPP 2,373,193

- SKIN CLAMP-APPLYING] TOOL Filed June 11, 1943 2 She ets-Sheet zPatented Apr. 10, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SKIN CLAMP-APPLYINGTool.

Elmer L. Lipp, Glendale, Calif., assignor' to Herman H. Helbush, LosAngeles, Calif.

Application June 11, 1943, Serial No. 490,446

' Claims. (01. 29-270) My invention relates to tools for holding andcompressing sheet metal clamps.

The metal clamp shown in United States Letters Patent No. 2,266,929 istypical of the skin clamps which this toolis adapted to hold andoperate. Such clamps utilize a relatively strong spring normally urgingthe clamp fingers into retracted or clamping position, and to apply theclamp to the work, itv must be held in a tool, which tool alsocompresses the clamp spring to protract the work-engaging fingers. It isa wellknown fact that the use of these clamp-applying tools hasconstituted a considerable hazard in that as the pressure is applied tocompress the clamp spring, the clamp is apt to fly out of the tool withconsiderable force and injure the user or nearby workmen unless theclamp is meticulously centered in the tool.

It is, therefore, among the primary aims of the present invention toprovide a clamp-applying tool which overcomes those difficulties byproviding a swingable jaw operable to automatically engage the clamp andhold it in the retaining cradle of the tool while the clamp spring isbeing compressed, and to automatically release the clamp when the springis'released.

My invention involve additional and subordinate advantages and how thoseas well as the primary objects hereinabove stated are achieved will bebest understood from the following detailed explanation of presentlypreferred embodiments of the invention, for which purpose I .shall referto the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with one of the side walls removed; a

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 except that the tool is shown inclamp-retaining and operating position; A Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are viewstaken on lines 3--3, 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 6 is a top plan view;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing a variational form; and

, Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end view taken online 88 of Fig. 7.

panion body members lare held together in opposed relation bythe-spot-welding of the cradle 8 to the portionst, 6a and by spotweldingtogether the depressed portions 9 of the handle portion of, the body. Atrack for the plunger to be described is provided by striking out ofeach side member and bending inwardly the ears I D.

A plunger l5 formed of channel iron is slidably mounted on the trackprovided by the ears it, the plunger having an outer end wall it towhich acIamp-engaging portion I1 i welded or otherwise suitably secured.The top wall of the plunger is longitudinally slotted at 20 for thepurpose to be described.

A plunger-operating lever 22 is pivoted to the sides 5a, So by means ofpin 23 about which it is fulcrummed, the upper end of the lever beingoperatively connected to the plunger by link 24 and pivot pins 25. Acoil spring 26 secured at its lower end to an ear'Z'I struck out of thehandle portion and secured at its upper end to the lever 22,normally'urges the lever into the inoperative position shown in Fig. 1.Each of the companion side plates 5a, 5b is cut away along the top ofthe barrel portion, as shown at 30, to provide a slot registering withthe slot 20 in the plunger. Each of the side plates 5a, 52) adjacent theouter end of the barrel portion is provided with an upright projection33 between which a swingable lever or jaw member 35 is pivoted by pin36.

The outer end of the jaw 35 has a depending portion 35a which isengageabl against a clamp C behind the shoulder H conventionallyprovided on such a clamp. and the opposite end of the jaw is providedwith a cam surface 3'! which is enaged by a cam surface 38 provided bythe end wall of the slot 20 in the top of the plunger. A coil spring 40secured at one end to the lever and at its other end to the bodynormally urges the inner end of the lever downwardly into the slot 20,which is the inoperative position.

To operate the device a clamp C is placed in the cradle 8 and as thelever 22 is pressed towards the handle of the body, the plunger l5slides to the left along the track provided by the ears I!) to compressthe clamp spring F, the inner end of the clamp being engaged by theouter end I! of the plunger. As the plunger is thus moved to the left,cam surface 38 engages thecam surface 31 of the lever and furthermovement of the plunger to the left causes the lever to move from theposition ofFig. 1 to the position of Fig. 2 about pin 36 a a fulcrum, toengage the clamp and positively hold it against escaping upwardly fromthe open topped cradle. In Fig. 2' the clamp is shown with its clampingfingers G protracted for insertion in work sheets. Release of the lever22 permits the springs 26 and 40 to return parts to the inoperativeposition of Fig. 1, in which position the clamp is released from thecradle.

In the form of device shown in Figs. '7 and 8 the plunger 50 isoperatively connected to the operating lever 55 by the link 56 in themanner before described and the clamp-receiving cradle 51 is mounted inthe manner of cradle 8 previously described. Here, however, instead ofthe lever 35, I utilize a variational type of swingable jaw 60 which issomewhat U-shaped 'and fulcrumed by means of pivot pin 6| so as to swinbetween the full line position andthe dot-dash line position of Fig. '7.A link 63 is pivotally connected at one end to the lower end of the jaw68 and pivotally connected at its other end to the lever 55, so thatwhen the the lever is moved to operate the plunger, the jaw 60 is swunginto or out of engagement with a clamp C inthe cradle 51.

While, in the foregoing, I have resorted to considerable detail ofstructure and association of parts in describing a particular example ofmy invention, I wish it to be understood that I have done so merely tomake my invention understood and that I do not limit my invention tosuch details. On the contrary, my invention is only to be limited asappears in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clamp-operating tool comprising a pistolshaped body having a handleportion and a barrel portion, an upwardly opening clamp-receiving cradlecarried by the outer end of the barrel portion, a. plungerlongitudinally slidably mounted in the body for movement towards andaway from the cradle, a lever-like jaw pivotally mounted between itsends atop the barrel portion of the loody for swinging movementlaterally of the cradle, and inter-engageable cam means on the lever andthe plunger operable to swing the jaw by virtue of longitudinal movementof the plunger and means for sliding the plunger;

2. A clamp-operating tool comprising a pistolshaped body having a handleportion and a barrel portion, an upwardly, opening clamp-receivingcradle carried by the outer end of the barrel portion, a plungerlongitudinally slidably mounted in the body for movement towards andaway from the cradle, a, longitudinal upwardly opening slot in theplunger, the end wall of said slot providing a cam surface, a lever-likejaw pivotally mounted between its ends atop the barrel portion of thebody whereby its outer end is swingalble into and out of lateralengagement with the clamp in the cradle and its inner end is swingableinto and out of the slot in the plunger, and a cam surface on the innerend of the jaw, said last-named cam surface being engageable by the camsurface on the plunger upon movement of the plunger towards the cradlewhereby to swing the outer end of the jaw towards the cradle.

3. A clamp-operating tool comprising a pistolshaped body having a handleportion and a barrel portion, an upwardly opening clamp-receiving cradlecarried by the outer end of the barrel portion, a plunger longitudinallyslidably mounted inthe barrel portion for movement towards and away fromthe cradle, a. plunger-operating lever pivotally mounted on the handleportion and operatively connected to the plunger, a. clamp-retaining jawpivotally mounted on the body whereby its outer end may be swung intoand out. of

lateral engagement with the clamp in the cradle, and link meansoperatively connecting the outer end of the jaw to the plunger-operatinglever whereby movement of the lever causes swinging movement of the jaw.

4. A clamp-operating tool comprising a pistolshaped body having a handleportion and a barrel portion, an upwardly opening clamp-receiving(cradle carried by the outer end of the barrel portion, a plungerlongitudinally slidably mounted in the barrel portion for movementtowards and away from the cradle, a plunger-operating lever pivotallymounted in the handle portion and operatively connected to the plunger,a U-shaped clamp-retaining jaw pivotally mounted on the barrel portionwhereby to be swingable into and out of lateral engagement with a clampin the cradle, and link means operatively connecting the jaw to theplunger-operating lever.

5. A clamp-operating tool comprising a pistolshaped body having a handleportion and a barrel portion, a laterally opening clamp-receiving cradlecarried by the outer end of the barrel portion, a plunger slidablymounted in the body to move longitudinally relative to the cradle, meanson'the cradle end of the plunger for engaging and operating a clampwhile it is held in said cradle, a clamp-retaining jaw, means carried bysaid body for pivotally mounting said jaw for swinging movement to andfrom the cradle for holding a clamp in said cradle, means operating thejaw in consonance with movement of the plunger, and means for operatingthe plunger.

6. A clamp-operating tool comprising a pistolshaped body having a handleportion and a barrel portion, a laterally opening clamp-receiving cradlecarried by the outer end of the barrel portion, a plunger slidablymounted in the body to move longitudinally relative to the cradle, meanson the cradle end of the plunger for engaging and operating a clampwhile it is held in said cradle, a clamp-receiving jaw, means carried bysaidbody for pivotally mounting said jaw for swinging movement laterallyof the cradle to hold a clamp in said cradle, inter-engaging cam meanson the jaw and plunger, said cam means being operable to swing the jawinto position engaging a clamp in the cradle by virtue of movement ofthe plunger towards the cradle, and means for actuating said plunger.

7. A clamp-operating tool comprising a pistolshaped body having a handleportion and a barrel portion, a laterally opening clamp-receiving cradlecarried by the outer end of the barrel portion, a plunger slidablymounted in the body to move longitudinally relative to the cradle, meanson the cradle end of the plunger for engaging and operating a clampwhile it is held in said cradle, a clamp-retaining jaw, means carried bysaid body for pivotally/mounting said jaw for swinging movementlaterally of the cradle to hold a clamp in said cradle, inter-engagingcam means on the jaw and plunger, said cam means being operable to swingthe jaw into position engaging a clamp in the cradle by virtue ofmovement of the plunger towards the cradle, spring means operable tomove the jaw out of engagement with the clamp upon movement of theplunger away from the cradle, and means for actuating said plunger.

8. In a clamp-operating tool, the combination of a body having a pair ofopposed jaws adapted to hold a clamp therebetween, means carried by thebody for mounting one of the jaws for movement relative to the other, .aclamp-operating member movably carried by the body for movement to andfrom said jaws,.means on the jaw side of said member for engaging andoperating a clamp while it is held in said jaws, actuating meansoperatively connected with the clamp-operating member and the movablejaw, and means for actuating said clamp-operating member.

9. In a clamp-operating tool, the combination of a body having a pair ofopposed jaws for receiving a clamp therebetween, means carried by thebody for mounting one of the jaws for movement relative to the otherwhereby to releasably retain a clamp, a clamp-operating plunger slidablymounted in the body for movementinto and out of the space between thejaws, means on the jaw end of the plunger for engaging and operating aclamp while it is held in said jaws, a lever, means carried by the bodyfor pivotally mounting said lever, and means operatively associating thelever with the plunger and said movable jaw whereby operation of thelever causes simultaneous movement of the plunger and jaw.

10. A tool for applying clamps each having a shank and a movableoperating element, the tool including a body having a barrel, a plungershiftable in the barrel and adapted to engage and move the element of aclamp aligned therewith, jaw members for gripping the shank of a clamp,one of said members being pivotally secured to the forward portion ofthe barrel and movable between an open position and a closed positionwhere it engages about the shank of the clamp aligned with the plunger,means carried by the body for moving the plunger toward and away fromthe forward end of the barrel to move said element of the clamp and thenretract therefrom and means for pivoting the member between its said twopositions simultaneously with said move- 'ment of the plunger.

ELMER L. LIPP.

